Class Action News

March 28, 2013

EDITORIAL: Classy Action at the High Court

Wall Street Journal | March 28, 2013

The other news at the Supreme Court on Wednesday was another big defeat for the trial bar. The Justices put a stop to the latest attempt to revive huge legal paydays by ruling 5-4 to reaffirm their requirements for certifying a class action.

Tags: Class Action

Cahill Loses Bid to Derail Deutsche Bank Class Action

American Lawyer | Subscription Required | March 28, 2013

A federal judge in Manhattan ruled Wednesday that Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd can move forward with a proposed securities fraud class action against Deutsche Bank over its risky bets on mortgage-backed securities.

Tags: Class Action, Securities Litigation

March 27, 2013

Supreme Court Shows Skepticism About Class Arbitration

Forbes | March 27, 2013

The Supreme Court took up the question of arbitration again yesterday in the case of Oxford Health Plans vs. Sutter, and once again the conservative justices seemed skeptical that the process designed to keep disputes out of court should be open to class actions at all.

Tags: Arbitration - ADR, Class Action

March 26, 2013

Judge Cuts Fees for Plaintiffs' Lawyers in LivingSocial Settlement

Legal Times | March 26, 2013

Citing inefficient staffing and high hourly rates, U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle slashed attorney fees in half for plaintiffs' lawyers in multi-district litigation against daily deal company LivingSocial.

Tags: Class Action, Legal Ethics

Herndon: Parties want litigation resolved at MDL stage

Legal Newsline | March 26, 2013

For Chief Judge David R. Herndon, nothing is ever set in stone, especially in multidistrict litigation.

Tags: Class Action, Illinois

March 25, 2013

Stanley Chesley, Titan of the Plaintiffs' Bar, Crashes and Burns

Bloomberg Businessweek | March 25, 2013

The big-time plaintiffs’ bar justifies its multimillion-dollar fees by claiming to vindicate the “little guy.” Justice ain’t free, according to free-wheeling trial lawyers, and taking on (alleged) corporate villains requires heavy pecuniary incentives.

Tags: Class Action, Kentucky, Lawsuit Abuse Impact, Legal Ethics

EDITORIAL: A Disaster for the Tort Master

Wall Street Journal | Subscription Required | March 25, 2013

Stanley Chesley made a fortune demanding that plaintiffs get their day in court, and this week the class-action kingpin got his when the Kentucky Supreme Court voted unanimously to disbar him. The jurists found that Mr. Chesley "knowingly participated in a scheme to skim millions of dollars in excess attorney's fees from unknowing clients."

Tags: Class Action, Kentucky, Lawsuit Abuse Impact, Legal Ethics

March 22, 2013

Report: Life sciences securities cases increased in 2012

National Law Journal | Subscription Required | March 22, 2013

Securities fraud class actions against life sciences companies increased by 65 percent in 2012 compared to 2011, reversing a previous dip, according to a new Dechert report.

Tags: Class Action, Securities Litigation

Pioneering Trial Lawyer Disbarred in Kentucky

Wall Street Journal | Subscription Required | March 22, 2013

The Kentucky Supreme Court has voted to disbar Ohio trial attorney Stanley Chesley, a legend of the plaintiffs's bar whose reputation as a champion of the underdog was marred by accusations of greed.

Tags: Class Action, Kentucky, Legal Ethics